Keep Up with the Defilements

Everything is created by our minds. The eyes see images, the ears hear sounds, the nose smells aromas, the tongue tastes flavors, the body feels sensations, and the heart experiences emotions.

But the mind is aware of all these things. It knows them and it thinks about them, imagining them to be this or that. When our mindfulness and wisdom are strong, we can see these creations for ourselves.

But mostly the defilements carry us along in their flow, in their powerful natural momentum. Before we realize what has happened, we become angry, greedy, deluded or conceited — because we’ve been deceived by the defilements.

So please watch the ebb and flow of those defiling influences carefully. Don’t let them deceive you so readily.

When we are skilled enough to keep up with their movements, we can transform their negative power into positive spiritual energy.

This reflection by Mae Chee Kaew is from the book, Mae Chee Kaew, (pdf) p.239, Compiled from Thai sources & written by Bhikkhu Dick Sīlaratano.